Monday, September 20, 2010

Clouds of peace rose fromthe casket on the alter.We stood as oneJack and I walked forwardto place the rose petals with love.A mother, great grandmotherhad departed leaving this earth,to travel to the land without pain.Took out place of honourbeside the casket on thisher final journey.Jody helped escort usto the waiting hearse.She gladly walked herher grandmother to the landof peace and tranquility,where my mother now standsbeside my father for eternity.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Callie's New Friend (cont)She began to smile. Callie knew where Captain Forsyth was. Someone must have upset him. May be she could solve the problem Callie turned to walk toward the side of the ship to then, make her way up the ladder to the deck.

'Come back, Callie. You could get hurt,' called her father, but she kept walking to her destination.

Landing on the deck Callie waved to her father to let him know she had made it safely. She turned to make her way across to the companion way, which led below deck. Walking along a passage way Callie followed the sound until she found the cabin of the captain.

Callie knocked on the locked door. She had tried the handle but it would not turn.

'Go away! Get off my ship!' bellowed Captain Forsyth. 'Or I'll run you through with my sword.'

Callie knocked again. She stood there waiting for Captain Forsyth to open the door. She placed her hands over her ears.

The Captain turned the key before pulling open the door cursing as he did.

'Captain! You should have your mouth washed out with soap for using such bad language where there are children.' Callie pushed her way into the cabin.

'I didn't know it was you,' Captain Forsyth pleaded his case. 'I thought you went home.'

'Well, I'm back.' Callie went on to berate him for frightening the citizens of Western Bay. They had only been doing their job. Had to search for injured sailors.

'But they didn't find any. Too many years have passed since I last set eyes on a sailor.'

Captain Forsyth stormed across his cabin to stand behind his desk. He closed the ship's log book on the desk with a loud thump. Never again would there be any more entries written on the pages. No more voyages across the seas. No more new countries to sail to. The Falcon Flyer was forever in dry dock. The tall ship would never unfurl all her sails to the winds. Would never glide over the seas.

The citizens, who had been chased away from the ship cheered when Callie approached the side of the ship to climb down the ladder. Her father was happy to see his daughter had returned unscathed.

'You are allowed to board the ship, but...you can not enter Captain Forsyth's cabin,' Callie warned her father.

Callie felt the eyes of the citizens of Western Bay staring at her as the silence grew around her.

'How do you know the name of the Captain?' asked her father.

'He...' Callie felt a hand on her arm, a reminder for her not to spill the beans. 'It's written in the ship's log book. The last entry was entered in 1822.'

The citizens went back to work unloading the cargo from the ship. No more incidents happened as they worked. People tip toed along the passage way past the cabin of the Captain. They didn't want to upset Captain Forsyth.

Wagons were brought to the beach to take the unloaded cargo to store it in a warehouse. Every one worked until the sun began to slip beyond the horizon. Exhausted bodies with weary legs, the town's citizens made their way home to rest, and sleep, before they would have to begin work again the next morning.

The people worked hard to clean the ship. Made stays to hold the ship upright, and in place. Cement was poured around the bottom to kept it from washing back into the sea on the next fierce storm. Steps were built up to a platform to help the visitors step down to the deck.

A "Do No Disturb" sign was placed on the door of the Captain's cabin. 'You enter that cabin at your own risk,' people were told, as they visited the ship.

'Can't you read?' a gruff voice echoed through the door, to reach anyone who tried to sneak into the cabin, followed by a childish giggle.

Callie and her new friend enjoyed their time together to frighten the sightseers. Out of this grew the story of the ghost who haunted the ship. People from many places visited trying to catch a glimpse of Captain Forsyth. The End

Callie's New Friend (Cont.) Been sick.'You have a problem, Captain. I'd say you're a ghost,' came Callie's shocked expression of sympathy.

'A what. How can I be a ghost? You can see me.' Captain Forsyth began to feel over his body but his hands kept disappearing.

The Captain and Callie sat n the ground near the bell stand to discuss what options he had. Callie had lost All her previous interest in the wrecked ship for the time being. She thought walking to a ghost captain more interesting.

'Why aren't you down at the wreck?' yelled Callie's friend, Jamie Pool, as he rushed past doing up the buttons on his shirt.

'I'm talking to a new friend,' replied Callie, without thinking.

Jamie stopped running to stare at Callie. He could no see anyone sitting near Callie. 'Who are you talking to?' A puzzled frown creased his forehead.

'The Cap...' Captain Forsyth put finger to his lips to warn her not to explain. 'I'm waiting for Kathy,' Callie changed her story, thinking fast so her Friend would not think she has lost her mind. Not wanting him to know she was talking to a ghost. All her friends would laugh at her. She would be the joke of the day.

Everyone would be saying, 'Poor Callie. She's lost he marbles. Thinks she can talk to ghosts.'

Captain Forsyth watched all the citizens of the town climb all over his wrecked ship. Watched them unload his cargo to the ground as others searched for sailors who may have survived. The search was a fruitless one because the sailors were no where to be found. The ship was a ghost ship, which appeared out of the dark, stormy night, to land on the beach of Western Bay.

'Don't know. Looks good where it is. The town citizens will decide,' sighed Callie, now wishing for a closer look at the ship. She didn't want to run away from her new, sad friend.

'Why are you still here, Captain? Why didn't you leave when your crew did?'

'Search me. Maybe I have work to do first. Maybe in one life I was a bad captain and I have to atone for my sins.'

'You going to live on the ship? I mean stay,' Callie corrected her mistake.

'Don't know. I will probably have to wing it. Never been a ghost before.'

Callie decided it was time for action. She stood. Undecided, whether to go home to change out of her night clothes, or hurry down to the wrecked ship to help. Home would be good. Callie started walking away from Captain Forsyth.

'Where are you going?' Captain Forsyth sprang to his feet.

'Going home. I have to change my clothes.'

'What about me?'

'No one can see what you're wearing,' Callie laughed. 'Go wait for me on the ship.'

Callie raced down the street to her home. She quickly changed her clothes. Put runners on her feet before running down the stairs to the kitchen to have a drink, then grabbed n apple from the bowl on the cupboard.

Arriving back at the beach Callie made her way toward the wreck. She went toward the ladder to climb on board the ship.

'I wouldn't go up there, Callie,' her father told her, as he grabbed her arm to stop her climbing up the ladder. 'You might get hurt.'

'Everyone else has been on the ship. Why can't I?' Callie couldn't believe she was being denied the privilege of climbing up on to the ship.

'Ahhh! That was before...unexplained things began to happen,' explained her father.

Callie looked around to see the citizens of Western Bay standing around staring at the ship. They were telling each other what had happened to them. Things, which moved on their own. Anyone who had tried to enter the Captain's cabin were thrown out.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Western Bay citizens woke to a bright, sunny morning with not a cloud to be seen. Birds in the trees sang happily. Seagulls swooped over the beach looking for food.

Callie Shaw opened her bedroom window to let in the morning sun ane the cool breeze. Taking a few deep breaths Callie looked toward the beach, which she did each morning. Her view was blocked. Instead of the view of the beach there stood a ship with torn sails fluttering in the gentle breeze. Rubbing her eyes with both hands, Callie opened them again to see the wrecked ship still blocked her view.

'Dad! Dad!' cried Callie, as she raced from her bedroom. 'There's a ship on the shore.' She found her father in the kitchen. 'There's a ship wreck on the beach.'

Tom Shaw looked at his daughter with disbelief in his eyes. No sip would come close to their beach. The water was too shallow for large ships.

'Come on, Dad!' Callie grabbed her father by the hand to pull him from his chair. 'Come on. We might find some treasure.'

Tom let Callie drag him from the kitchen to the front door of th family home. Swinging open the door, Callie pointed to where the ship had come to rest. 'Look Dad! It's not a dream. The ship is real.' Tom blinked a couple of times but the ship was there when he opened his eyes.

'Go ring the bell,' said her father, the bell which had stood on the same place for many years to warn the citizens of danger. 'I'll go down to the beach.'

Callie ran down the street to where the warning bell was housed. Rushing up the rungs of the ladder, Callie began to swing on the rope of the bell. She had never been given permission to ring the bell in the past. Ten yearolds were told never to go near the bell as it was not a toy.

Hanging on tight to the rope, Callie stepped from the ladder to dangle from the rope to have more weight to swing the heavy bell. Her night gown fluttering against her body as the wind blew in from across the sea.

'What a confounded racket,' complained Captain Forsythe. 'Who could be trying to wake the dead?' He lifted his arms to be able to cover his ears with his hands. The captain kept walking until he reached the sorce of the noise.

He reached up to grab Callie around the waist with one arm and prised her hands from the rope with the other, before gently placing her on her feet on the ground.

'What did you do that for, Mister. I was told to ring the bell.'

'Why do you need to make so much noise? barked Captain Forsyth.

'To warn the citizens they are needed. There's a ship wreck on the beach. Some of the crew may need help.'

'Ohhh! My beautiful ship. What happened to it?' cried Captain Forsyth, when he turned to face the beach.

'Your ship? Why aren't you down there helping? Where are all the crew?'

"I've been searching but I can't find them. Have been tryng to sail the ship on my own since we were hit by angry waves, and howling winds. This is the first time I have come across land.'

'Who are you?'

'Captain Belamay Forsyth, at your service, Miss.' The captain took the hat from his head and bent at the waist as he held out a hand toward Callie.

'Captain? Why can't I feel your hand?'

'Try again.' Callie reached out for his hand but couldn't touch it. She pushed a finger to his chest and her hand passed through his body.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Callie's New Friend.A long, long time ago Captain Bellamay Forsyth sailed the seven seas in his tall ship known as the Falcon Flyer. Captain Forsyth's ship carried cargo across different seas. He and his crew travelled to many different countries.

On the last trip the priate ship the Black Skull came upon the Falcon Flyer when the wind had stilled. Both ships had been becalmed waiting for the wind to blow life back into the sails.

During the night a strong wind began to blow catching the sails of the Black skull first pushing it toward the Falcon Flyer. The Black Skull was within sight of the Falcon Flyer before the wind finally reached the sails of the Falcon Flyer.

The pirates on the Black Skull had worked hard to have all the cannons primed ready to fire once they were within firing range of the Falcon Flyer. A thick mist, which the wind had pushed ahead of the storm had helped to hide the approach of the Black Skull.

'Ship ahoy! Ship ahoy!' cried the sailor on watch in the crow's nest at the top of the mast. 'Black Skull coming in fast.'

Sailors quickly scurried up the rigging to unfurl more sails to catch the wind. Captain Forsyth spun the wheel to change course to try to out run the Black Skull.

Cannon balls blasted through the mist to explode in the sea a few feet short of their target. A cannon ball exploded on the deck of the Falcon Flyer. Captain Forsyth kept maneuvering the ship to save his ship from sinking, as he faught to escape from the Black Skull.

The sailors on he Falcon Flyer sent a couple of cannon balls into the mist. Rain fell heavily making the deck slippery and the target invisible.

Billowing winds caight the unfurled sails to send the Falcon Flyer speeding across the now boiling sea. Giant waves battered the deck, Torrents of water washed sailors every which way. Sailors were washed overboard. Barrels of water and cargo rolled forward and backwayd before being toppled over the side of the ship into the sea, with the next towering wave to explode down on the ship.

The cannons had been silenced so now the sailors could help to save their ship from sinking to the bottom of the sea. The Falcon Flyer rocked, and rolled, over the waves blinded to the direction the wind blew the ship. The sailors on watch could not see any land formations, or other ships, in the darkness which surrounded them.

The fury of the storm carried the Falcon Flyer way off course. Each available sailor worked hard to keep the ship afloat.

Near the end of the cyclonic storm the wind lifted the ship from the sea to send it crashing down on solid ground. The hull cracked as the ship came down to its final resting place. Never again to sail the seven seas.

Frog With Attitude As far as frigs go I thought they wew docile creatures, who croaked and jumped out at you, if you surprised them in the dark of night. To wet on you as you pass. Frogs ar not one of my favourite creatures. Are still not my favourite creatures. But is seems some frogs have a character, and a spoilt child mentakity, chuck a spac-a-tac when something happens to them I met one such frog - by accident. An accident it was because I didn't know he was there. The wheelie bin had to be taken out to the footpath to be emptied the next day. I spun the bin around from the wall. Then came the loudest ruckus. Looked around to see what, or who, had been hurt because I had moved the bin. A puddle of wet spread out from beneath the bin. I tipped the bin back and walked backward to fnd what made so much noise. There I found a small frog, puffed up, making the high pitched sound of a baby bird, hopping up, and down, on the spot. It was trying to decide whether to hop toward the bin, or retreat to find a safer home. 'Don't yell at me,' I told the frog. 'I didn't know you were there.' But the frog kept up his temper tantrum. I moved the bin further away from the frog. It turned to hop away but quickly turned back to face me when I stopped the movement of the bin, still complaining about its treatment. 'Don't think about it, you spoiled brat. Shut up! You're making so much noise someone will come looking to see who is being hurt.' I smiled at the antics, and noise, from such a small creature. Frogs are suppose to croak, or sing, not sound like a hungry bird. I walked away with the bins leaving him behind cursing me for taking away his hideout, and running over some part of him. He was still complaining when I walked inside and closed the shed.